Ya' Sink 'r Swim-2nd of 5 Tips On Stay'n Tha' Course (repost)

Surv'l Tip #2 Stay'n Tha' Course (repost)

When Your Faith Wav'rs & Ya' Feel Like Bait

So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

In case your just join'n us, in review so far, Surv'l Tip #1 was: While Tha' Tide Rises 'n Falls 'Round Ya' Feet - our focus must be on Jesus 'n not of tha' world. Now tip #2.

Remember tha' story that ya' heard grow'n up about tha' tortoise 'n tha' hare? Here's how Mamma told it:

Life Lessons from Daddy

I always felt safe with Daddy 'round. He could solve any problem 'n fix anyth'n. I rememb'r runn'n in tha house. When I start'd ta go outside, I hit tha storm door hard. Glass shatt'rd all ov'r tha porch 'n part of tha door got brok'n. Daddy hugg'd me 'n said, "Don't worry. I'm glad you're ok. I'll fix tha door." He took duct tape 'n put one piece from top ta' bottom on one side, then he took anoth'r piece 'n did tha same thing on tha oth'r side.

Mak'n A Joyful Noise

"Make a joyful noise (shout) to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing." Psalm 100: 1-2


One Sun'dy morn'n, a man came ta' visit our church. We were sing'n "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder" 'n all of a sudd'n, we heard this loud pierc'n sound. Ev'rbody start'd look'n 'round. A few people at a time stopp'd sing'n, but tha' loud out-'a-tune noise kept on go'n. It was our visit'r with his eyes clos'd 'n sing'n ta' tha' top of his lungs. It was a voice only a Mamma could love.

Ev'rone stood there list'n ta' tha' man. He was so inta' sing'n praise ta' God, that he didn't realize he was tha' only one sing'n. Turn'd out that this person used ta' sing in a quartet. He got throat cancer 'n had surgery. The man said he miss'd sing'n like he used ta'. He appologiz'd for be'n so loud. Tha' preach'r said, "No need for that, 'cause ta' tha' Lord, your mak'n a joyful noise ta' Him."

I was remind'd of Psalm 100. Worship means adoration, love, respect, devotion, reverence. God wants us ta' worship 'n acknowledge Him with a joyful shout/noise - sing'n His praises! But mak'n a joyful noise can also mean the play'n of instruments. We praise Him through sing'n 'n clang'n symbols.

We are invit'd ta' experience joy in prais'n tha' Lord. He alone is God, the Creator. We are so lucky ta' be free ta' worship Him!

Things for ya' ta' think 'bout:

1. Do ya' truly worship God?

2. How do ya' experience mak'n a joyful noise? 'R are ya'?

Give us a heart ta' serve you more with gladness 'n thanksgiv'n. Lord help us ta' worship ya' with a joyful shout giv'n ya' all tha' praise, honor, 'n glory. You are worthy Lord. In tha' name of Jesus, amen.

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Mitsy Lou's Christmas Concert "Christmas Through Story 'N Song"
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Lesson Learn'd From A Lemonade Stand

There's noth'n like a cold glass 'a lemonade on a hot summr's day. I rememb'r when Mamma help'd me put up a lemonade stand outside our house. She made a sign, "Lemonade 5 Cents A Cup".  She let me make tha' lemonade.  I was so excit'd! I squeez'd tha' lemons into a juicer, then poured tha' juice into a pitcher, 'n add'd wat'r 'n sug'r.  I set tha' pitch'r of lemonade with tha' cups on tha' table 'n put some ice in a cooler. I sold $5.00 worth right off tha' bat.

Tip #5 on Stay'n Tha' Course-When Ya' Cast Ur Net 'n Endure 'Til Vict'ry Comes

Surv'l Tip #5 When Ya' Cast Ur Net 'n Endure 'Til Vict'ry Comes

As Christians, God has commission'd us ta' go 'n tell oth'rs 'bout Him 'n His life. That's our purpose. I read somewh'r, we are ta' be fish'rs 'a men - we catch 'em, God'll clean 'em. We don't have ta' go out of tha' country ta' witness, we can witness right where we are - work, school, home, neighbors, etc. We testify ev'rday by words we say 'n by tha' way we live.

Tip #4 When Tha' Sharks 'A Life Attack Ya'

Surv'l Tip on Stay'n Tha' Course #4 When Tha' Sharks 'A Life Attack Ya'

We, as Christians, are ta' be Christ like in our walk, in our talk, in our day ta' day things we do. Satan is always ready ta' cause us ta' stumble. When someth'n good happ'ns ta' ya', it makes ya' feel good, don't it? That's when tha' devil usually makes his move. He uses pride, pleasure, 'n things of tha' world as a snare. You've heard tha' express'n, 'opportunity may knock only once' - temptation will never stop knock'n. My preacher calls it Spiritual Warfare. 

                                                  We're on tha' battlefield, but are we on tha' front lines?

Tip #3 When Ya' Swim Against Tha' Current & Find It Not Impossible

Surv'l Tip On Stay'n Tha' Course #3 When Ya' Swim Against Tha' Current & Find It Not Impossible

Mamma always says that life's all 'bout choices. God gives us tha' freedom ta' choose. Do ya' want ta' live a life that's fullfil'd, or do ya' want ta' live a life 'a try'n ta' keep up with tha' crowd?  Tha' Bible says that ya' can't serve tha' Lord 'n tha' world.

 How we react ta' our hard times is key. Wheth'r tha' issue is health, death of a lov'd one, loss of a job, someone hurt ya', ya' feel defeat'd, etc. Ya' know God didn't promise us that life would be easy 'n smooth. But our faith 'n hope is in His promise ta' go through it all with us. It's up ta' us if we want ta' complain 'bout ev'rthing or not. We decide what kind'a attitude we have.

Tha' Bible says:
Do all things without complaining and dusputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

"Keeping Things in Perspective"

Author Unknown

Today we can complain because the weather is rainy or...

Be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free!

Today we can feel sad that we don't have more money or...

Be glad that our finances encourage us to plan our purchases

wisely and guide us away from waste!

Today we can grumble about our health or...

Rejoice that we are alive!

Today we can lament over all that our parents didn't

give us when we were growing up or...

Feel grateful that they allowed us to be born!

Today we can cry because roses have thorns or...

Celebrate that thorns have roses!

Today we can mourn our lack of friends or...

Excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships!

Today we can whine because we have to go to work or...

Shout for joy because we have a job to do!

Today we can complain because we have to go to school or...

Eagerly open our minds and fill up with rich new tidbits of knowledge!

Today we can murmur dejectedly because we have to do housework or...

Feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for our minds, bodies and souls!

Today stretches ahead of us, waiting to be shaped, and here we are,

the sculptors who get to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to us. We get to choose what kind of day we will have!

It's so easy ta' get discourag'd when ya' feel like your swim'n against tha' current. We need ta' rememb'r that God's still with us ev'n in tha' midst of our troubl's. It's not impossible with God.

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Through our hard times, we'll receive spirit'l bless'ns 'cause they make us strong'r to be more helpful ta' other people; we have a strong'r relationship with God; our faith becomes strong'r.

God has giv'n us a choice. We can go through life with Him, or we can go through life without Him. He has giv'n us a choice to serve Him or tha' world.

Things for ya' ta' think 'bout:

1. Do ya' trust God enough that He'll see ya' through your hard times?

2. Do ya' want ya' life ta' be fullfilled by God or tha' world?

Lord, I pray that you'll help us ta' rememb'r that you are with us all tha' time - good 'n bad. Give us tha' strength ta' swim against tha' currents in our lives. Lord may our choice be ta' serve ya'. I pray your will be done. Thank ya' in tha' name a' Jesus, amen.